June 2020

Municipal Solid Waste

Incineration Considerations
Background
As municipalities contend with how to manage their waste in an efficient, environmentally appropriate
manner, some are exploring different waste management options. It is recommended that municipalities
undertake a waste management study to better understand their needs prior to evaluating options.
Municipal solid waste (MSW) incinerators offer the opportunity to reduce the amount of material that must
ultimately be landfilled. Municipalities are seeking advice on waste management and, particularly, incineration.
While the effects of any combustion device on the environment depend upon many factors, the major factors
include the nature, form and concentration of the materials released. For MSW incineration, the main releases
are the flue gas, ash residues from combustion and emission control processes.
The costs associated with incineration include, but are not limited to: equipment required, fuel requirements,
ash disposal, operator training, regular maintenance requirements, waste diversion/recycling, air monitoring
and ash analysis, and costs to prepare documentation such as the environmental protection plan.
The following checklist outlines information that should be evaluated when planning an incinerator project. This
list is not extensive; specific projects may require more information to be evaluated.

Project Considerations
o Amount of MSW to be processed
o Type of waste to be processed: waste characterization audit using industry standards
o Waste diversion opportunities
o Opportunities for regional collaboration
o Large centralized facilities maximize the cost effectiveness of MSW incinerators and landfills
o Feasibility study
o Overall costs, compared to an engineered landfill and/or transfer station
o Operational and maintenance costs
o Financing
o Siting
o Waste quantities and capacity
o Fuel type and source

Equipment
o Designed to burn typical MSW
o Incinerator capacity per batch or per hour of MSW should be suitable for the amount of waste to be
processed
o Meets applicable air emissions standards
o Designed to minimize the formation of dioxins and furans. This is typically attained by dual stage
incineration with a retention time of >1 second at 1000°C
o Monitoring equipment for operating conditions such as temperature, carbon monoxide, and oxygen
within the burn chamber and particulate matter, temperature, oxygen, carbon monoxide, hydrogen
 chloride in the stack. Correct placement of these sensors is critical for accurate monitoring and must be
approved by a Qualified Person.
o Alarms and other safety gauges
o MSW feed system
o Fuel: rate of consumption, storage and/or delivery method
o MSW storage: appropriate storage must be in place; it cannot simply be stockpiled at the site.
o Ash collection and storage: storage requirements will be determined from the ash characterization.

Site Selection
o Adheres to setback requirements for a waste disposal ground as per The Municipal Refuse Management
Regulations
o May require stakeholder engagement
o Restricted public access
o Utility requirements
o Air quality impacts are minimized: allows appropriate air dispersion

Operation and Maintenance

o Operator: certification and training
o Personal protective equipment requirements
o MSW mixing and loading
o Fuel delivery
o Regular maintenance of incineration and monitoring equipment as per manufacturer’s
recommendations
o Develop a maintenance schedule
o Monitoring equipment: requires specialized expertise, regular verifications, calibration and
maintenance
o Ambient air monitoring
o Stack emissions monitoring
o Ash
o Characterization
o Disposal: characterization will dictate landfill requirements (municipal, industrial or hazardous
waste hauler)
o Handling protocol: characterization will determine level of handling care required
o Regular inspections
o Site security and supervision
o Record keeping
o Plans in place for material that cannot be incinerated, such as larger furniture, certain building materials,
metals, recyclables, hazardous substances and waste dangerous goods, asbestos, etc.

Auxiliary Services
o Access to site for waste haulers
o Waste segregation
o Recycling contract(s)

Regulatory Requirements
o An incinerator project will need to be screened to determine whether it is a development pursuant to
The Environmental Assessment Act.
o May require stakeholder engagement

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 o Meets The Environmental Management and Protection Act, 2010, The Environmental Management and
Protection (General) Regulations and the Industrial Source (Air Quality) Chapter by having:
o An accepted environmental protection plan that:
 Demonstrates that air quality and emissions requirements are met;
 Demonstrates that federal and provincial standards as well as appropriate emissions limits
for other contaminants are met to minimize the probability of unacceptable adverse effects
resulting from incineration activities. Air quality emissions limits and an example of
appropriate operational emissions limits are provided in Table 1 and Table 2, respectively;
 Demonstrates that the Saskatchewan Ambient Air Quality Standards (SAAQS) are met by
completing an air dispersion model;
 Includes a monitoring plan which:
 Could include Continuous Emissions Monitoring System (CEMS) depending on
equipment; and
 Includes stack emissions testing: including but not limited to dioxins and furans,
trace metals, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, hydrogen chloride, sulphur
dioxide, and nitrogen oxides.
o A Hazardous Substances Waste Dangerous Goods storage permit as required;
o An Industrial Waste Works permit as required;
o The regulatory items listed above would require the following to be developed and or
completed:
 Annual reporting
 Inspections
 Emergency Response Plan
 Operations Plan
Emissions Limits
Table 1: Stack Emissions Limits

Parameter Stack Emission Limit

Dioxins & Furans

0.08
(ng/m3 @ 11% O2)

Mercury
20
(ug/m3 @ 11% O2)

Total Particulate Matter

20
(mg/m3 @ 11% O2)

Carbon Monoxide
57
(mg/m3 @ 11% O2)

Hydrogen Chloride
27
(mg/m3 @ 11% O2)

Cadmium
7
(ug/m3 @ 11% O2)

Lead
60
(ug/m3 @ 11% O2)

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Table 2: Example of Operational Emission Limits

Daily CEMS 1/2 hour

Parameter Units Average average
mg/m3 @ 11% 9*
Total Particulate Matter (TPM) 9
O2 28**
mg/m3 @ 11%
Carbon Monoxide (CO) O2 50 100
mg/m3 @ 11%
Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) O2 50 190
mg/m3 @ 11%
Nitrogen Oxides (NOx as NO2) O2 190 350
mg/m3 @ 11%
Hydrogen Chloride (HCl) O2 10 60
mg/m3 @ 11%
Hydrogen Fluoride (HF) O2 1 4
mg/m3 @ 11%
Total Organic Carbon O2 10 20
μg/m3 @ 11%
Cadmium (Cd) O2 7 N.D.
μg/m3 @ 11%
Mercury (Hg) O2 20 N.D.
μg/m3 @ 11%
Sum of Lead (Pb), Arsenic (As), Chromium (Cr) O2 64 N.D.
μg/m3 @ 11%
Chlorophenols (3) O2 1 N.D.
μg/m3 @ 11%
Chlorobenzenes (3) O2 1 N.D.
μg/m3 @ 11%
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (3) O2 5 N.D.
μg/m3 @ 11%
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (3) O2 1 N.D.
ng/m3 @ 11%
Total Dioxins and Furans (as PCDD/F TEQ) O2 0.08 N.D.

* 97% of the ½ hour average values over an annual operating rolling average will not exceed 9 mg/Rm3
** The 28 mg/Rm3 ½ hour average value is never to be exceeded
*** Sourced from British Columbia's Combustion of Municipal Solid Waste Fact Sheet